Bethlehem, Pa., April 4, 2016— Moravian College will hold a two-day conference for the American Association of Physics Teachers on Friday, April 8 and Saturday April 9. The conference is designed for physics educators to network and students to present their research, while enabling participants to advance their craft through workshops, and special lectures. The conference will include a plenary presentation by Dr. Terry Hart, a former NASA astronaut, U.S. Air Force pilot, and successful telecommunications executive, who is currently Professor of Practice in Department of Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering at Lehigh University. His talk will be held on Friday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m., in Dana Lecture Hall, Collier Hall of Science.
Hart will share highlights from the history of 100 years of flight and talk about some of his experiences in the US Air Force as a fighter pilot and at NASA as a Space Shuttle astronaut. Hart was aboard the STS 41-C Challenger, NASA's eleventh Space Shuttle mission, launched on April 6, 1984. The Challenger crewmembers logged 168 hours in orbit above the earth and were the first astronauts to repair a satellite from the shuttle. Hart operated the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) that retrieved the Solar Maximum Satellite for repairs. He also acted as rendezvous navigator and filmed footage using an IMAX camera for a movie titled (1985). Hart has been a fighter pilot in the US Air Force, and has held various positions in industry including Member of Technical Staff at Bell Labs and President of Loral Skynet.
Hart is the holder of two patents for his previous work in noise suppression circuitry and safety devices for electronic power converters. Honors and awards include induction into the Aviation Hall of Fame, the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni, the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal, the Pride of Pennsylvania Medal, the NASA Space Flight Medal, the U.S. Air Force Commendation Medal, and the Lehigh University Alumni Award.
Hart’s current research activities include project. The Hopper spacecraft simulator has the goal of testing out guidance navigation and controlling algorithms that could occur in space. Lehigh University’s role is to focus on the guidance, navigation, and control of the device.
The two-day event will also include demonstrations, presentations, and workshops constructed by students and faculty. The conference has provided funds to the Physics Teaching Resource Agents program to support initiation of workshops in select urban areas. These workshops allow teachers to examine issues related to teaching and learning physics such as leadership, classroom organization, physics content, teaching techniques, trends in science education and equity issues. For more information regarding the speaker and conference please visit .
Moravian College encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. Anyone who anticipates needing any type of accommodation or who has questions about the physical access provided should contact Michael Wilson at 610-861-1365 or wilsonm@
Moravian College is a private coeducational liberal arts college, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. For over 274 years, the Moravian College degree has been based on a liberal arts curriculum where literature, history, cultural values and global issues, ethics, and aesthetic expression and the social sciences are infused with multidisciplinary perspectives. Visit learn more about how the Moravian College liberal arts curriculum prepares its students for life-long success.